Please help me!
We may have to get rid of our dog, 'cause he will not stop barking.
He only does it when we leave. We didn't even know he was barking, except we live in a semi and our neighbour is losing her mind. Over the summer to combat the problem, we thought leaving him outside was a good idea, but then we got a noise violation from the city - someone else had complained about his barking!
We got a cage for him, because he was also destroying the house, but the cage doesn't stop him from barking, in fact, he had a panic attack. I feel bad 'cause I yell at him to lie down and be good, but it doesn't work, and now I just feel so mean, and I'm worried about him.
It's not normal barking, it's panicked!
What can we do!!! We thought about getting another dog to give him some company - but what if that doesn't work, and we can't really afford another one. We thought about doing dog therapy but it's $400, we just don't have it!
Please someone must have some ideas????
We're desperate!

jessi76

December 5th, 2005, 02:45 PM

you left out alot of info that could help someone give you advice: type of dog? how old is the dog? how long is the dog left alone during the day? is the dog getting enough exercise? have you done ANY training? how long has this been going on? how long have you had the dog?

Lucky Rescue

December 5th, 2005, 02:48 PM

jessi beat me to it! Yes, we need a lot more info.

Also, here is a site that may give you some pointers
http://www.perfectpaws.com/sa.html

Lissa

December 5th, 2005, 02:55 PM

Good points from Jessi76

I went through the same thing with my dog, only he was a puppy at the time...It took training, increased exercise, interactive toys and getting rid of the crate to help my dog...

Without all the information its hard to suggest what to do but perhaps doggy daycare or finding a local dog walker or neighbour who's willing to check in on your dog... If money is an issue perhaps you can offer to walk their dog on the weekends or some other exchange of favours...

Jennifer2006

December 5th, 2005, 02:58 PM

jessi beat me to it! Yes, we need a lot more info.

Also, here is a site that may give you some pointers
http://www.perfectpaws.com/sa.html

Hi, We adopted him from the Humane Society and he is approx 2.5 years old. He is a lab crossed with something (?) we don't know what...maybe collie?
He has had no training that we have given him, but when we adopted him, he already knew sit and speak and shake a paw.
We've had him for a year and a half, and this has not gotten any better.
He is alone during the day from 7:30 am - noon, then again from 1:30 - 4, but even if we go to the store for 10 minutes he behaves like this. He seems especially disturbed if my husband leaves.

raingirl

December 5th, 2005, 03:23 PM

Sounds like something called Separation Anxiety.

If you go to google.ca and type in "separation anxiety" you will get lots of information.

First I would suggest you get some training for the dog as a bonding experience for you and the dog. Where are you located? We have members almost everywhere who can suggest great positive based training programs.

Second, you need to assure your dog that you are coming back. When you leave the house, do not make a fuss. about 10 minutes before you leave, totally ignore the dog. Just as you leave, give your dog something AMAZING, like a food filled Kong or some other treat that will keep him busy for a long time. This way your dog associates you leaving as a good thing. When you come back, ignore the dog again for at least 10 minutes. No eye contact, no petting, nothing. After ten minutes say hello but don't be all excited. Just calm. Also at this time, take the toy/treat away. ONLY use that treat for when you are leaving, so it has a special meaning.

Beetlecat

December 5th, 2005, 03:27 PM

HE sounds like he is suffering from seperation anxiety. Does he bark the hardest as soon as you leave or right when you come back? My dog had this too, but he eventually outgrew it when he disovered that I was not abondoning him every time I left the house and that I would be back. We set up rountines to help him and I stopped greeting him when I came home.

There are many ways to combat this. Google 'seperation anxiety' for ideas.

Do oyu exercise him alot? He could also be bored and be barking for fun, because it is a way to pass the time. This is usually indicated by non-stop barking for hours on end.

You want him to be tired out from a good amount of exercise before leaving him by himself. That way he will hopefully learn to just sleep through the time you are gone.

No matter what, if the dog is barking, then wait for him to stop before coming back into the house, even if it is just because he paused for breath. If he thinks that barking will eventually summon you, he will be much harder to break of this habit.

jessi76

December 5th, 2005, 04:18 PM

He has had no training that we have given him, but when we adopted him, he already knew sit and speak and shake a paw.
We've had him for a year and a half, and this has not gotten any better.

If this has been going on for the whole time you've had him, it's gonna take time, commitment, and a whole lot of patience to fix. I'm sure it's possible, but your neighbor might be at the end of her rope - since you live in a place where you must consider your neighbors, you may want to look into doggy daycare. At least that way everyone wins - you keep your dog, your neighbor has some peace & quiet, and the dog is taken care of and entertained while you're away. This is obviously only one possible solution for while you're working. Going to the store for 10 minutes is another thing. I think for short amounts of time, a stuffed Kong or a toy that the dog has to work at to dispense treats would help.

He seems especially disturbed if my husband leaves.

my pup was starting to get this way - and it's gotten much better since we've been desensitizing him to it - we come and go alot - in and out of the house, daily. out for the mail, back in, put the trash out, back in, out to warm up the car, back in... etc...

gottahavepets

December 7th, 2005, 12:39 AM

Boiled beef bones stuffed with peanut butter and dog food, frozen, then given in the crate when you leave, every time. It will keep him busy for along time while you are gone. When Nikki was little we had lots of these on the go. She went through separation anxiety even though I'm a stay at home mom and am rarely gone! If the dog is part border collie it will take a lot of patience and consistency to get it done. The doggy daycare is also a wonderful tool as it will tire him out as well as keep him from getting lonely. Nikki would come in and just collapse after a daycare visit! It was the only thing that kept me sane between the neurotic puppy, the newborn baby and the 2 older children!
Please don't give up on him, talk it out with your neighbor and let them know you are trying to solve the problem, hopefully they will be understanding.Look into obedience classes, doggy daycare (most kennels will offer this service if you ask) and desensitizing techniques. Nikki likes the radio to be left on sometimes. So we do that, we also treated her every time she went into the crate. That makes the crate a good place to be. Keep trying and you'll get through this!:fingerscr

jawert1

December 7th, 2005, 09:43 AM

Simon went through this too, and so we upped his exercise regimen (longer, more interesting walks), gave him a special treat (kong filled with peanut butter and crunchies) everytime we went out, and left the radio on a classical music channel when gone (no voices, no need for him to think maybe we were back). Even now that it's just Simon, Peaches and me, I still do this since his breeding makes him a little high strung and prone to relapses. Do your pup a favor tho, don't yell at him - he's only trying to tell you how much he misses you and even though it's annoying and you're frustrated, taking it out on him is going to make things that much worse. :)

StaceyB

December 7th, 2005, 10:06 AM

Why was this dog encouraged to speak. I wouldn't label your dog quite yet as having separation anxiety. He may very well have it but it seems that not much has really been tried to teach him how to cope when you are not home. What do you do in regards to him when you leave or come home? If he infact has SA then he may not touch any treat that is left for him. There are things you can try but none are going to happen over night. He has been doing this for a long time now so it will lake work to break.
Set him up for you leaving aprox 1/2hr before you leave. Leave talk radio on in the room where he stays and say nothing when you leave. I would speak to your neighbour to let them know that you are working to resolve his barking issues. I would also try to get as much info from them as possible, how long the barking continues at a time, what times he barks, what does it sound like etc. Seeing as you are not there when he is barking your neighbour may be able to help you out by giving you this info. Another option is to record or video him so you can see what is happening.
Several times a day walk out the door and walk back in, each time making it longer. Whatever you do try not to come back for a bark. He will think that his barking worked, you came back.
He needs adequate exercise and training. While you are working on the issue you may also want to get him into daycare.

StaceyB

December 7th, 2005, 10:07 AM

Yelling at him is equal to a bark so if you yell at him he thinks you are barking and will think that it is ok, and no more getting him to speak.

SnowDancer

December 7th, 2005, 11:44 AM

Question - Barking versus house destruction. I have an Eskimo who has SA to a degree and also is a complete Hoover - although he doesn't start to destroy things until 1/2 hour AFTER I leave the house - usually dogs get busy sooner. He also has an issue with crates after very bad experience before we got him. So, question is - are you leaving him in crate during the day and if so is barking much greater than it would be if you left pup loose to destroy your house. Obviously you don't want your house destroyed (we have more holes in blankets and duvets than fabric left) - and of course the risk to your pup of a blockage - but am just trying to narrow down cause. Is your pup barking in response to noise from your neighbour - (i.e. is she banging on the wall etc. or responding to very loud vacuum cleaners, kids running up and down laneway etc.) We lived in a semi with 4 mini Dachshunds - all adopted -all rescues - none crate trained - or about to be. Inititally some destruction but each dog had a fabric/object of choice. Separation anxiety was not nearly as common as it is today - this is my first experience. Obviously the dogs did not like us leaving for work, and we did work long hours - but they slept most of the day, only rousing themselves to respond to a would-be threat. At night nothing would disturb their sleep except the noise of a would-be robber. Neighbours knew that if they started barking after bedtime something was amiss and people 4 houses up would be up with their flashlights checking things out. Usually there was someone out there. Anyway I know this isn't of much help but just trying to identify what is causing the biggest problem - obviously you have to appease your neighbour, but even though it will not matter if she has 5 kids tormenting your dog at the window and causing barking, it would give you some piece of mind. Tying the dog outside for sure is/was not the answer. My dog is now 20 months and more attached to me than ever. In speaking with people at vets who have had same breed types of dogs for multi years, many have said that they have never experienced separation anxiety to the extent that they now do with their current puppies. I hope things work out for you. I know that doggy daycare is very expensive. I take my guy once a week for socialization and a walk in the ravine with a very experienced lady who he loves and who I trust to board him. Never boarded my Dachshunds - guess I had the SA - and they did have bad backs. You can certainly truly all of the tips in the many articles on SA - I do find it amusing though that so many dog trainers, groomers, vets, etc. all bring their dogs to work with them. Guess why?! Also in my case, Eskimos are little barkers - they like to alert Mommy to a potential problem. We also live in Toronto

BernerLver

December 7th, 2005, 12:26 PM

Before resorting to re-homing your pet, I would try some of the great suggestions other posters have made. We provide our guy with frozen Kongs stuffed with a variety of things. Another toy that our guys loves is a Buster Cube. I find it's great mental stimulation as the dog has to work at getting the food out. Also, you can change the level of difficulty. We just put a portion of his breakfast in it before we leave.

Good luck. I hop you are able to solve your problem.

maddoxies

December 7th, 2005, 12:35 PM

Check out Ttouch. It is a massage therapy for dogs, one of the focuses is anxiety.

Google should direct you. I am working on my fear aggression mini doxie with Ttouch and I know someone in Mississauga who takes their golden for treatments.

technodoll

December 7th, 2005, 01:13 PM

everything previously mentioned (treating your dog's hyper-attachment which leads to seperation anxiety) needs to be focussed on ASAP - if you rehome your dog, you are only passing on the problem to someone else who will maybe not have the patience to train doggy out of this and he will end up PTS.

in the meantime, combined with intense therapy (ie training), i would suggest a bark collar. it would cure the immediate problem of noise and, down the road to recovery, it will probably not be needed anymore and you can pass along or sell to someone else...

also do try Rescue Remedy (ask your holistic vet for the drops), it really works to alleviate panic attacks and calms the dog down - administer a few drops before leaving the house.